Absolute Gate

Chapter 3 Ghost Welding Gate

Wu Zhong stood there, stunned, his mind buzzing.

I experienced this "door won't open" situation not long ago.

If the elevator incident was a coincidence, what about now?

There's nothing wrong with the doors of this Buick. Wu Zhong himself test drove it around twice, and the doors opened and closed very smoothly.

Why did a problem arise as soon as the car owner arrived?

Based on the elevator incident, Wu's first reaction was: I must have encountered a ghost!

"Old Wang, what's going on!" the boss questioned Old Wang first.

Old Wang hurriedly said, "I don't know, I just changed the filter. Xiao Wu was the one who tested it, and he said there was no problem."

"Xiao Wu!" the boss said, his eyes wide with a stern voice.

Wu Zhong glanced at his colleague and had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I had no problems when I set off."

The man in the suit took out his phone to take pictures and said in a deep voice, "What do we do now? You're not going to deliberately damage our doors so I have to pay to buy a new set, are you?"

The boss panicked when he saw this: "No, no, how could that be?"

The man in the suit glanced at his time: "I need the car urgently!"

The boss glared at Wu Zhong, telling him to deal with it quickly, while comforting the car owner to sit inside and wait.

Wu Zhongyi took the plunge, and with a beep, the car door opened smoothly.

Old Wang asked in surprise, "Huh? Nothing's wrong."

"Hiss..." Wu Zhong not only did not breathe a sigh of relief, but became even more nervous.

He witnessed firsthand how the car owner couldn't open the door for a long time, while he opened it as soon as he touched it.

This is exactly the same as the elevator incident, it's like a ghost, it's really a ghost.

"Brother Wang, maybe the car owner is deliberately causing trouble? We don't know, look at it and see what's wrong with it? It's perfectly fine."

Wu Zhong spoke calmly, opening and closing the car door repeatedly, shaking it constantly, as if there were no problems at all.

At the same time, I checked my face in the rearview mirror and then looked at the back of my neck to see if there was anything riding on it...

This bizarre event sent chills down his spine.

Old Wang sneered, "Damn, that's a weirdo. I saw him take out his phone to take pictures the moment he did, so he was definitely prepared."

Wu Zhong asked him, "What should we do now?"

"Just tell the truth and let the boss send him away," Old Wang said nonchalantly.

Wu nodded: "Okay, Brother Wang, you take it for a test drive and show it to him... I'll go talk to the boss..."

After saying that, he quickly walked towards his boss, who was comforting the car owner.

"Hmm..." Old Wang then got into the car and was about to close the door.

However, it wouldn't budge no matter how hard I tried.

"Ok?"

Old Wang was completely dumbfounded.

He got out of the car to check the door, shaking it forcefully, even tilting his whole body, until the soles of his shoes were almost burning, but he still couldn't close it.

Forget about closing it, it can't even move slightly; it's like it's welded shut.

"Huh?" Old Wang looked blank, staring intently at the sliding part of the car door... staring and staring! He had no idea what the problem was.

By this time, Wu Zhong had already explained things to the boss, and the three of them walked over together.

The man in the suit said coldly, "The door can be opened now, right? I'll settle accounts with you later if there are any problems."

The boss patted his chest and said, "If you still have any problems, come on over, I'll take care of them for free."

But Old Wang poked his head out, looking at the car owner with a bewildered expression: "Boss, this...this car..."

"What's wrong?" The boss noticed his expression was off, walked over, and the two whispered to each other.

The man in the suit walked over impatiently and plopped into the car.

He stepped on the gas to start the engine, and at the same time, he tried to close the door.

As a result, not only could the car door not be closed, but the accelerator pedal could not be pressed either.

"Huh? How come the accelerator is broken too?" he said angrily.

The person most shocked was Wu Zhong.

"Holy crap, the accelerator isn't working either?"

"What the hell is this? Grandpa Ghost, stop bothering me."

Wu was very nervous, and he was puzzled. He didn't know how to explain it, so he could only say it was a supernatural event.

He's the only one who can open and close the doors of this broken car; no one else can.

Including the accelerator!

This is so eerie and sinister. Surely some little ghost is haunting him and playing a prank? No wonder he's having such a bad day!
Wu was not a superstitious person, but he couldn't not believe now.

If it's not some mischievous kid bothering him, could it be that he has superpowers?

What kind of superpower is this? He can close a door that no one else can open, and he can open a door that no one else can close?
That's a stupid superpower! If it is a superpower, how do you undo it?
He screamed inwardly, hoping the strange effect would be lifted.

"Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu? I'm talking to you! What are you spacing out for? Did you do this?!" The boss stared sternly at Wu Zhong.

Wu finally came to his senses and shouted, "This wasn't my doing, but there's definitely something fishy going on, boss..."

Old Wang also said, "It really looks like a ghost is gripping the door."

"What nonsense are you talking about! There are no ghosts!" the boss said angrily.

Wu Zhong patiently explained, "Boss, you know cars, can't you see something strange about this car?"

The car owner got out angrily: "I don't care what ghosts or monsters you're talking about, this car door is definitely crooked!"

"What? You want me to drive with the door at an angle?"

"I can't drive it away either, the accelerator is welded shut, are you messing with me?"

He took out his phone to expose the incident, but the boss quickly calmed him down, pushing the blame onto Wu Zhong and Lao Wang, and saying he needed more time.

When Old Wang saw that he hadn't dodged either, how could he admit it? He started shouting, and the scene became chaotic.

The boss was in a terrible predicament. He actually felt that the car was strange, but he couldn't say that.

Are we supposed to tell the car owner: "Your car is possessed by a ghost? A ghost pulling on the door? A ghost welding the car?"

In broad daylight, wouldn't the car owner be furious?

They're filming it with their phones, and soon Jiangxi Province will be trending nationwide again, with a new idiom emerging: "Gan ghost welding car".

Then he should give up his business. At this moment, the boss just wanted to downplay the situation and tried his best to say nice things.

"We're a legitimate auto repair shop here. I'll handle it for you personally, okay?"

But the car owner wouldn't let it go: "What the hell is this? You locked the accelerator, are you trying to stop me from leaving? Are you desperate for money?"

“I knew that nothing good would come from driving into your Jiangxi province. It’s all crooked tricks and disgusting people. It’s no wonder that the people of Jiangxi are poor their whole lives.”

The store fell silent instantly.

The boss straightened up immediately, and Old Wang's lips moved slightly as if he were cursing.

Wu finally stepped forward and looked at the boss.

Suddenly, the boss reached behind him and pulled up his sleeve, revealing a corner of his arm tattoo.

Wu Zhong and Lao Wang exchanged a glance. They both knew that their boss used to be a street thug with dozens of brothers. He was fearless in fights and had even traded sand with others in his younger days, making a good living.

Later, the crackdown on such people eradicated them, and the boss used the money he had saved in earlier years to open a shop and make a living by doing legitimate business.

However, he would occasionally boast to them in the store about his glory days. When he was drunk, he would have a bad temper and would often get into arguments on the street late at night. He would show off his muscles, which were solid and muscular, and he could even lift Old Wang up with one arm.

He once boasted that he could still take on ten people at once, and that he would beat up anyone who dared to cause trouble in the store.

Wu Zhong thought to himself that this car owner had really messed up!

The car owner also sensed something was wrong and took two steps back in fright.

"Is the boss going to grab a wrench? He might accidentally poop out of his pants..."

Wu was worried that something might happen, and thinking that he would have to hold the boss back later, he glanced at the boss's hand.

The shop owner pulled a pack of soft cigarettes from his back pocket. He usually wouldn't even smoke one himself, but now he handed one to the car owner with a fawning expression.

"It's a misunderstanding, brother."

Wu Zhonglao Wang was stunned and remained silent for a moment: "..."

The boss was half a head taller than the other person, yet he bowed very low.

“Our shop is absolutely legitimate, we guarantee we’ll handle it for you without any extra charges… Come on, bro, have a smoke to calm down.” He tried his best to explain and appease the car owner, offering him a cigarette.

Seeing this, the car owner was no longer afraid and pointed at the phone, saying, "Tell me yourself, did you tamper with it on purpose?"

"No, no, how could that be? I act with a clear conscience and would never resort to such underhanded methods," the boss hurriedly explained.

The car owner then said, "So, did I break it? Do you think I'm deliberately framing you?"

The shop owner smiled apologetically: "No, no, it was an accident. We made a mistake, but we promise to fix it for you."

After much persuasion and admitting to the camera that it was their fault, he finally managed to calm the car owner down and invite him to sit down and have some tea.

Wu Zhong and Lao Wang were both furious, but since the boss had said so, there was nothing they could do.

The boss walked out with a sullen face, studied the situation alone for a while, and was also dumbfounded.

The driver's side door is welded shut, and the accelerator is welded shut too. What's going on? I don't know what the problem is.

How about we take it apart and take a look?

The boss looked at Wu Zhong and Lao Wang: "You two repaired this car, tell me honestly, what did you do?"

"I know you guys are always secretly plotting against me, but don't do this to me."

"If a mechanic causes damage to a vehicle due to intentional or gross negligence during the repair process, the repair shop, after assuming liability for compensation, has the right to seek recourse from the mechanic who acted intentionally or with gross negligence."

The boss's words left Lao Wang completely bewildered.

"What the hell? Why? It's none of my business. I just changed the filter. It was like this when Xiao Wu drove it out for a while and came back. Who knows where he drove it?" Old Wang said hurriedly.

Seeing that he was shifting the blame onto him, Wu Zhong frowned and glared at him: "Huh? I just opened and closed the car door, and you said there was no problem at all."

"Now that you've turned around, you're saying you don't know where I drove off to?"

"Engineer Wang, you're a veteran, do you think this machine is something a normal person could tamper with? I think it's something fishy!"

"You're lying, be careful, or ghosts might knock on your door at night."

Although Lao Wang was determined to clear himself of the matter, he also felt that the car was strange and that it was not something a human could have done.

Damn, I don't understand.

The more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel. Could it be a paranormal event?

Jiangxi TV is not famous for anything else, but it broadcasts supernatural and strange stories every day.

Programs like "Classic Legends" and "Strange Tales" and all sorts of horror and bizarre shows bombarded me day and night.

In addition, the ancestral temple of the Zhengyi sect, Longhu Mountain, is also located in Jiangxi Province, with countless Taoist temples of all sizes. Locals often perform rituals, and many stories have been passed down.

Taoist priests can be seen everywhere, and the folk and supernatural atmosphere is quite strong throughout Jiangxi Province.

Especially in the auto repair industry, drivers from all over the country chat about everything under the sun, and when they talk a lot, they often start talking about superstitions and hang some talismans on their cars to ward off evil spirits.

Wu pressed on, saying, "It was fine when I was driving, but the problem started as soon as the owner arrived. Then it was fine again, but the moment you touched it, the problem started again..."

"I don't know what the car owner brought, but if there was anything dirty, guess who it's on now?"

Upon hearing this, the boss took three steps back, staring at Old Wang in horror.

Old Wang also told Wu Zhong that he was scared and felt uneasy. He muttered, "Boss, this car is too weird. Your shop might have been haunted by some evil spirit."

"I suggest you find a Taoist priest to take a look; perhaps that will solve the problem."

The boss remained silent.

This was the first time he had experienced something so strange; he had always heard people talk about this supernatural event and that ghost story.

He had heard of ghosts causing him to be trapped in a maze, being pressed down in bed by a ghost, and being pulled by a ghost, but "ghost welding a car" was something he had never heard of before.

The three people looked at each other, and the car owner grew impatient.

"No way, you car repairmen can't even fix a door? Hurry up and fix it! What are you standing there for?" the car owner urged. He didn't believe a word about ghosts or anything like that.

The boss said in a deep voice to Wu Zhong and Lao Wang, "This is really weird. Nothing has ever happened in my shop before. You two are the ones who caused this today."

"Like I said before, you two are in charge of car repairs. Now that the customer's car has a problem, you have to fix it."

Wu Zhong took a deep breath: "I'll go and try to fix it. Old Wang, you might have gotten something dirty on you. Isn't there a statue of Guan Yu in the shop? Haven't you prayed to it in a long time? Go and pray to him."

Old Wang was also confused by what he said, so he immediately went to the Guan Gong statue in the shop to burn incense and seek help from Buddha at the last minute.

Wu Zhong then held onto the car door, pretending to check it for a while before getting in.

"Whatever it is, whether it's a ghost or a superpower, release it, release it now."

Wu silently recited this to himself and reached out to close the car door.

The car owner was drinking tea when he saw this and raised an eyebrow: "Huh? It's done?"

Wu Zhong started the accelerator again inside, shouting in his mind the whole time, trying to control this strange effect.

Finally, he opened the car door and got out: "Give it a try..."

The car owner stepped forward, while Wu Zhong stood aside, his heart pounding in his chest.

The car door opened automatically, everything went smoothly, and I got in and tested the accelerator – no problem.

Wu breathed a sigh of relief, then looked down at his hands and pondered.

Just then, Old Wang came over after burning incense: "Holy crap, there really was something evil there? Burning some incense will fix it?"

"Lord Guan is still the best."

Old Wang was completely convinced and believed that he had just encountered a ghost.

Otherwise, why would burning an incense stick be enough?

Wu finally realized that this was probably not some kid welding cars, but rather that he inexplicably had a superpower.

The boss was overjoyed and leaned over to the car, laughing, "Look, look, it's all a misunderstanding, it's just a minor problem."

However, everything happened too fast.

The car owner retorted, "So you really did tamper with it!"

"Heh, have you no shame? A bunch of scoundrels still won't admit it? It's just that you see I'm not someone to mess with, and you're too cowardly to cheat me."

“If it were someone easier to talk to, wouldn’t they have let you cheat them out of money? Bad places breed bad people.”

The boss's face stiffened.

When Wu Zhong saw him speak again, he got so angry that he leaned over and raised his fist: "Are you talking about your father?! What kind of sweeping generalization are you making?"

"I fixed your car and didn't charge you, so why are you spewing nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, the boss hurriedly grabbed Wu Zhong and pulled him away. He was extremely strong, and Wu Zhong was unable to break free.

He shouted, "Forget it, forget it."

Seeing his boss so cowardly, Wu was speechless for a moment, unable to break free from him. He was furious; he hated indiscriminate generalizations. How could everyone in Jiangxi Province be considered a troublemaker? Although he had never met his father and grandfather, his mother had told him when he was a child that they were heroes.

My great-grandfather even participated in the August 1st Uprising, so why are you insulting me like this?

But the boss, with a stern face, forcefully held him down.

Seeing his rage, the car owner didn't argue, but smiled slightly from the side of the driver's seat, too lazy to pay attention, and started the car and drove away.

The three people in the shop watched him leave.

Wu was furious: "Boss! Didn't you always brag about how awesome you are? Why don't you dare beat him up? What are you doing dragging me along!"

The boss released him, lit a cigarette, and said, "After working for three years, you still have such a temper?"

"I'm holding you back for your own good. If you lay a hand on me, no matter why, it will be your fault."

"This kind of person is like a persistent leech; if something goes wrong, can you afford to pay for it?"

Wu finally gave up and said, "I...I didn't hurt him..."

The boss patted him on the shoulder and handed him a cigarette: "You're still too young. Didn't you see him taking pictures the whole time? Those kinds of people are the most difficult to deal with."

“If this gets out of hand, I’ll be in deep trouble. When the authorities start making changes, they won’t care about anything else; they’ll just take a blanket approach, and I won’t be able to keep my shop open.”

Wu was speechless and completely deflated; he couldn't refute his boss's words.

Honestly, he was just acting impulsively. Once he calmed down and thought about it, he realized that if he had actually beaten the person up, he would have been in big trouble.

He's so busy he doesn't even have enough time to sleep. After work, he has to get off work as a wake-up call man. He can't afford to let the cash flow dry up. What will happen to his grandfather if he acts impulsively?

Thinking of this, he suddenly lost his temper and sat in the chair in a daze.

The boss and Lao Wang seemed indifferent, but they were just cursing each other for not making any money on this deal and arguing about whose responsibility it was.

Wu was too lazy to get involved and pondered his inexplicable ability to weld doors.

Poverty breeds short-sightedness, and poverty in a region can lead to all sorts of accusations, which made him even more concerned about his sudden and unusual appearance.

……

　P.S.: Sorry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)